Every Christmas we do something a bit unique that represents and challenges our studio’s diverse styles and skills. This time we have turned to our new dedicated 2D animation studio who have created something very special. The first 2D #BZshorts film is directed by People and Talent Coordinator, Katie Gascoyne. Our commitment to pioneering new talent and giving opportunities to ALL staff is at the heart of the shorts program. This year, there was a blind pitch where the whole company was invited to pitch an idea for the music video to Scouting for Girl’s Christmas single. Specifically, the brief asked for an “odd couple.” Katie won the blind pitch with a heart-warming pairing between Dan, a living gingerbread man, and his human girlfriend, Mandy. Directed By Katie Gascoyne Storyboard By Luke Allen Jacques Gauthier Art Direction Jacques Gauthier Development Andrew Scott Jovan de Melo Maeva Verdun Adam Willis Larisa Bumb Francesco Guarini Character Design Tena Galovic Katie Gascoyne Prop Design Eva Strautkalne Illustration Sophie Gallo Rigging Plamen Ananiev Niki Kehoe Elijah Mazur Sonia Naqvi Georgia Read-Smith Background Design Sam Bailey Kasia Brzezińska Charlotte West Background Layout Farhad Chams Sebastian König Charlotte West Wei Wu Background Paint Alice Geoffriault Lucy Munro Niccolo Magni Jovan De Melo Junior Nicola Coppack Katie Barry Maeva Verdun Animation Lead Mateus Lima Animators Emilliano Alcocer Stefanos Chrysanthou Michael Logar Lewis Nash Marcelo Perin Giulia Ranialo Saeed Rezvani Billy Shing Joe Sutherland Fernanda Valverde Eduardo Vazquez Elnaz Forouhari Comp & FX Stuart Geddis Millie Spouse Jodi Henry Tania Maccaferri Pipeline TD Chris Carter Edit Alec Smith Music ‘Let’s Not Go Away’ a Song by Scouting For Girls Music & Lyrics by Roy Stride, David Freedman, Jackson Freedman Sound Design John Sutherland Exec producer Oli Hyatt Producer Denise Green Production Manager Nikitha Mannam Special Thanks Tom Box Adam Shaw Laura Annis Sony Music All @ Blue Zoo Made by Blue Zoo Animation Studios © Blue Zoo Productions Ltd 2019